What is "slabby rock"?

Question

Matt White a pitcher for the Dodgers purchased land from a relative. He noticed rock ledges and had it evaluated by a geologist. There are an estimated 24 million tons of this rock. At $100/ton the whole thing is worth a couple billion dollars.

Here's what the article said:
"It's basically a slabby rock that can be used for sidewalks, building faces and stone walls," Pannish said from his Amherst, Mass., office. "You can use it for a lot of other things, like flagstone on a patio. There are some sidewalks right here on campus that are made of that same rock."

What is slabby rock - limestone, slate, something else?

Answer 1

That is likely a limestone judging from the uses, but a "slabby rock" could be about anything sedimentary as well as some metamorphic and even a few igneous rocks. It's just a layer of rocks that has bedding that allow it to separate into slabs. The geologic definition of slabby means layers 10 to 30 cm thick. The value in this case is probably due to the proper thickness and durability for paving stone combined with aesthetic appeal. $100 per ton is high, but not really unusual for quality decorative paving stone at the consumer level. Just check the prices of stepping stones at your local home improvement store. Finding a market for 24 million tons of stepping stones is another issue entirely, especially if you take into acount shipping and handling costs. Paving stone is usually palletized for shipping to keep from damaging it, so you wouldn't be able to just drop it into a dump truck and haul it, it wuld have to be stacked.

Answer 2

Woman

Answer 3

'slabby rock' is a horendous bastardisation of the english language. 'slab' is a noun not a verb.

Its just a kind of stone that can be collected and forms flat slabs. it is probably to do with the strata and way it was created.
most stone can be 'harvested' in this way to form pavers.
slate, marble, granite and sandstone is too.